Unkai Terrace in Hokkaido: Where to Watch the Sea of Clouds in Japan

Have you ever heard of sea of clouds (called Unkai “雲海” in Japanese) ? A sea of clouds is an overcast layers of clouds which is the effect by trade winds. In short, clouds and fog which are moving from across wide area, mainly on mountains. The natural phenomenon is rarely seen scenery because you only can see when the weather conditions are perfect.

In northern of Japan, there is a really fantastic spot to see the sea of clouds. Unkai Terrace is situated at the mountains of Hidaka and Tokachi which located at an altitude of 1,088 meters from sea level, in Hokkaido. Not only Japanese but also foreign visitors come to the area during the peak season to enjoy the natural beauty and fantastic phenomenon that is unique to Hokkaido!

Moreover, there is a cloud walk which was newly built in September 2015. When you are on the deck, you can see a stunning beautiful sea of clouds and it makes you feel as you are walking on the real clouds.

However, Unkai terrace is only open from mid-May to the end of October. During the period, you can ride on the gondola which run from around 4:30 A.M. to 7:00 A.M. about 13 minute to access Unkai terrace on the nearby mountaintop. But if you don’t wanna wake up in early morning to ride on the gondola, there is a hotel where located at the mountain. So, you can have breakfast while enjoying magnificent scenic views 🙂